


Gone.

by AndromedaSoda



Category: The Mechanisms (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Zombie Apocalypse, Gen, It’s very brief but it’s tagged just to be safe, Major character death is moreso implied than actually happens, Smth about zombie aus and family angst just gets my writing juice flowing, YES I’m making ANOTHER zombie au but for a different fandom WHAT OF IT, anyway back to serious tags, description of infection, mentions of infection, no beta readers we die like men
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-19
Updated: 2020-09-19
Packaged: 2021-03-07 17:28:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 618
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26551378
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AndromedaSoda/pseuds/AndromedaSoda
Summary: There’s one too few in the headcount, the sleeping bag beside him is empty.
Relationships: Jonny d'Ville & Nastya Rasputina
Kudos: 19





	Gone.

Slowly, Jonny sat up.

It was another day. Another goddamn day of waking up and wishing his back would stop aching and his head would stop throbbing, but both were unlikely to stop anytime soon. He didn't have a comfortable place to sleep even before the crawling decay of infestation and disease had started to make its way throughout the world.

He started to do a headcount of the sleeping bodies surrounding him, something he did out of habit to make sure everyone was there. Every morning before the others woke up, and every night after the others had all gone to sleep.

Someone was missing.

He didn't know how it took him till the headcount to notice the empty sleeping bag next to his own.

She was gone. She was gone and he didn't know where she was or why she left- no. He knew why she left.

Her flesh was rotten to the bone in spots. It had been for weeks, months even. She had been bitten and the infection spread until she could barely hide it from the rest of the group to stop them from panicking.

Before they had met Carmilla or any of the others, they had made a promise to each other. If one of them woke up and the other had given into the rot and disease, then the other was free to kill them. 

They both knew neither of them could do it.

Of course, they'd wake up before anything happened. Neither of them were particularly heavy sleepers. Nastya would wake at the quietest footstep, Jonny at the distant crooning of owls late in the night. But neither of them would be able to kill a monster who had taken their sibling's face.

Jonny didn't say anything when the others started to wake. Just sat in silence as he anxiously waited to see her return, if she ever did.

Deep down, he knew she wouldn't, that when he saw her next she was more likely to be a decaying corpse with some semblance of sentience than she was to be alive and well, but that couldn't stop wishful thinking.

The others mentioning Nastya's absence is what made him break down. He felt guilty that he didn't wake up as she left, that he didn't  _ stop her _ , but her sleeping bag was empty and she was nowhere to be seen.

He was left by himself that day. Noone within the ragtag team that called themself the Mechanisms was good at comfort. So they just left him to wallow in guilt and anger. He was grateful for it, really, he didn't need the others to be around as he yelled and screamed until his voice was raw from rage.

He knew the others were looking for Nastya, that he should help. But he couldn't do it. The others wouldn't say anything though. He knew that they wouldn't, and he was just proven right when they regrouped and didn't question his tear streaked face, or how when he tried to speak all that came out was a hoarse mumble.

That night, he didn't sleep despite how tired he was. He couldn't let someone else slip away unnoticed, disappear without a trace. And more importantly, if she returned, he needed to be the first one to see her, to welcome her back.

When the rest of the Mechanisms found their first mate out cold and slumped against a wall the next day, no one tried to wake him. They just wrapped a blanket around his shoulders and sat with him, waiting for him to wake. Their slow, silent movements and hesitant glances spoke of concern, it didn't need to be verbalised to be understood.


End file.
